Drafting linemen for either side of the ball is never a sexy pick for most fan bases. That is, unless you are a Steelers fan, and you understand the importance of winning the line of scrimmage. Last year, we were all overjoyed when Zach Frazier became a Pittsburgh Steeler, and for good reason. The team has paid the price for too many years of neglecting the lines. Drafting Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth while passing over Creed Humphrey twice, for instance, had most of us screaming at the television back in 2021. A snowplow is just another truck stuck in the snow if you don’t get the plow attached first.

While the offensive line has been addressed recently, the results are still pending. Perhaps this is the year that we finally see Broderick Jones at his natural left tackle position and Troy Fautanu at right tackle, and those draft investments can start paying dividends. The guards are certainly more questionable, but with Zach Frazier looking like a franchise center, his play can improve theirs as well. If they could get away from that weird “strike first” style of play that Pat Meyer insists on teaching, and the tackles live up to their draft status, the offensive line could be primed for improvement.

The only recent big investment in the defensive line is Keeanu Benton. His second season, while decent, was not the success people expected after his impressive rookie debut. It was not all his fault, as he only received 59% of the defensive snaps. The Steelers are rarely in their base defense anymore, and a true nose tackle position is becoming a thing of the past. For those of us that loved the Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke era, that’s a shame.

Cam Heyward, at the ripe old age of 35, played 71% of the defensive snaps this year. One of my first articles I ever wrote for SCN was a piece detailing Cam’s injury the year prior, how he was rehabbing it, and that I believed he would come back and play like…well…like Cam Heyward again. Boy, did I take some flak on that opinion. However, Cam showed up and did Cam like things once again, When he was on the field, the Steelers averaged giving up 3.7 yards per carry. When he was not, the team surrendered 5.1 yards per carry. As great as he has been, he is entering year two of what will most likely be his last contract.

A look at the rest of the roster does not inspire much confidence. Larry Ogunjobi has a cap cost that far outweighs his play, and figures to be released. His play was always up and down, sometimes playing with intensity and other times not, and always dealing with nagging injury. Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams, and Isaiahh Loudermilk all fall into that journeyman category. They have had decent play at times filling in, but would anyone really notice if they left for other teams? DeMarvin Leal is one of those “tweener” guys that is too small to be on the line, and too big to be an off-ball linebacker, and the team never can make up their mind on what they want him to do, so he is stuck in no-man land. Logan Lee lost his rookie season to a calf injury, and it’s never wise to count your 6th round eggs as chickens before they hatch. He is a complete unknown as of now.

The Steelers have many needs across the board. If they do not get the receiver position sorted before heading into the draft, that would likely be their first pick. If they do make some free-agent signings on that side of the ball, however, it’s not out of the question for the team to be looking at the defensive line with their next selection. Mason Graham from Michigan will be long gone by then, and the Steelers would probably have to use their first pick to get Kenneth Grant, also of Michigan.

The one attribute that has made Cam Heyward such a force is just his raw strength. It’s also why he plays so well even at 35 years of age, because while speed and agility tend to leave first with age, strength will stick around if the person is dedicated to maintaining it. Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss also possesses that attribute of just being naturally stronger than the guys he plays against, and he could still be on the board when the team makes their second pick. He’s good at taking on double blocks, something that the Steelers ask of their defensive linemen, and can hold the point of attack. His pass rush repertoire isn’t fully there yet, but he should be solid as a run stopper right out of the gate. He can learn technique, and showing up with natural out of this world strength will help that process immensely.

We all saw what happens when the Steelers lose the line of scrimmage and can’t stop the run against teams like the Eagles and Ravens, and it is not pretty. The Steelers lasting iconic image and best known nickname of the Steel Curtain is because of the defensive line of the 1970’s. The scheme has changed since then, but the attitude should remain. Being the dominant and more physical team is what the Pittsburgh Steelers have always been about, and that doesn’t happen without winning on the line. The franchise quarterback most likely will not be on the roster this coming season, but that means the team should do everything it can to get the other parts right first. Build the lines, and the rest will follow. It might not be sexy, but in Pittsburgh, toughness beats sexy any day.